(Kata POV – I-Island, Hotel)
The reception party is in less than two hours, but the hotel suite buzzes with energy.
"Are you sure you want to come, Eri? It'll probably be pretty boring." I ask her softly, trying to reassure her that it's okay to stay behind. "There'll be a lot of standing around and boring speeches."
"Yes!" She nods, eyes set with solemn determination. "Even if it's boring, I'd rather be with you, Kata." She smiles, and all my defenses crumble into dust.
"…Alright." I sigh, smiling helplessly.
"Yay!" She cheers, throwing both arms up.
"And there it is." Momo says fondly, perched on the edge of the nearby couch. "Eri really is Kata's one and only weakness."
"I'm Kata's weakness?" Eri tilts her head, intrigued by this new title.
"His biggest weakness." Himiko confirms from where she's lying on her stomach on the bed, kicking her bare feet in the air. "If you act cute and asked him to jump, he'd ask how high. If only I could get what I wanted from him that easily." She sighs, pouting at me.
"I'm extremely tolerant of your antics already." I say flatly, rolling my eyes. "You already get away with way too much."
"If I were Eri, I'd get away with more." Himiko says instantly.
"If you were Eri." Momo cuts in. "You'd be abusing your powers."
"Probably." Himiko agrees, without hesitation.
Eri, who has clearly been following maybe forty percent of this, looks up at me with bright curiosity. She opens her mouth to ask a question, and Momo, as if waiting for this moment, swoops in.
"Eri! Come with me, sweetheart. We need to get you dressed up for tonight." Her eyes are sparkling, while mine narrow suspiciously.
"Momo." Mina says immediately, hands on her hips. "We know what you're planning."
"And we want in." Toru pipes up, buzzing with barely-contained enthusiasm. "Eri is not getting dressed up without all of us."
"I'd like to help too!" Uraraka says eagerly.
"We're picking the outfit together." Mina declares. "Many heads are better than one!"
"Should we go too, ribbit?" Tsuyu tilts her head from the armchair. "I don't have strong opinions, but I'll do my best."
"…I don't think I'd contribute much." Jiro mutters, earbuds already half-in. "But, you know, if you need a second opinion, I'm around."
"Of course. I was about to invite you all." Momo smiles, having expected it all.
'They won't go overboard… right?' I think dubiously. But, if nothing else, I can trust in the result.
Eri, however, is already lighting up at the prospect of being dressed up by all the big sisters at once, so who am I to interfere? She lets Uraraka take one hand and Mina the other, and the whole flock of them sweeps into the adjoining room in a swirl of laughter and overlapping chatter, the door swinging shut behind them.
The room goes abruptly quiet. Next, I look toward the bed.
Himiko hasn't moved. She is, however, now propped up on her elbows, watching me with a huge grin and particularly intense gaze.
"…What's that look for?" I ask.
"You have to change for the party too." Her grin widens, a faint pink dusting her cheeks. "And I'm right here. Don't let me stop you. I'd really like to see you in a suit."
"And what makes you think I'll let you watch?" I say, exasperated by her audacity.
"Because I'm cute?" She tilts her head, pressing her fingertips to her cheeks.
I am not impressed.
"Oh, come on." She groans, flopping onto her back. "We already sleep together. What does it matter at this point?"
"You're right." I say evenly. "It doesn't matter."
"Then I get to watch?!" She shoots upright, eyes practically sparkling.
"But you're getting too cocky."
Her sparkle flickers.
"So no." I say with finality.
"Wha—" Whatever she was about to say is cut off as I lift her gently with my quirk, float her toward the wall connecting our room to the other room, and phase her through it.
A half-second later, a muffled chorus of surprised greetings — "Himiko?!" "How did you—" "Did he just—" — drifts back through the wall.
Then, fainter:
"That's so unfair!"
I let myself smile for a moment before turning toward the wardrobe, and in the welcome quiet, I finally change.
Black formal suit, white shirt, and a dark tie. Nothing flashy. Simple, but formal.
And by the time I finish straightening the cuffs, the noise from the adjacent room has shifted from planning outfits, to excited voting and squeezing as Eri is probably fitted into numerous outfits.
With my own preparations done, I busy myself planning some gifts I've been wanting to make, already knowing I'll be here for a long while until they finish.
An hour later, I finally hear the door click open.
I raise my head, and Mina, Himiko, Jiro, Toru, and Tsuyu come out first, still dressed the same, but visibly more excited than before.
Then Uraraka steps out, and the chorus behind her erupts into satisfied gasps and small applause.
She's the first to have changed. A vibrant, sleeveless pink dress with a ruffled, asymmetrical hem, black stockings, and a black bow in her hair. She fidgets at the doorway, hands clasped in front of her.
I immediately realise what's coming.
'So I'm supposed to give compliments.' I think. 'It'd be rude if I didn't say anything about Uraraka though…' I sigh internally, resolving myself to act amazed.
I take her in, give a small approving nod.
"Deku's going to be very happy seeing you." I say simply.
Her face goes from pink to scarlet in roughly half a second.
"K-Kata!" She buries her face in her hands, laughing in the helpless, embarrassed way she does when the topic is Deku. "You can't just say that!"
"You wanted an honest opinion." I shrug.
"Kata's super analytical. He doesn't say things he's not certain about." Mina notes archly, elbowing Uraraka. "If he says Deku will love it, that's basically a guarantee."
"If even Kata says so, then he'll definitely fall over." Toru chimes in cheerfully.
"He's going to need a chair." Tsuyu confirms.
Uraraka makes a small dying noise into her hands, but her smile is enormous. The girls cluster around her, teasing affectionately, and the room momentarily settles into a happy hum.
'I guess I did well? But to be fair, if a guy likes you, he'll find you beautiful in anything you wear.' I think plainly. 'Deku would've been blushing no matter what.'
'Personally, the dress is okay, but what's needed here is reassurance. And I just happened to be around for it.' I sigh silently, sheltering no delusions.
A few moments later, the door opens again, and Momo steps out.
I look up to acknowledge her, and freeze.
She's wearing a floor-length evening gown in soft green that catches the light differently every time she moves. A halter neckline leaves her shoulders bare. The fabric gathers at a high waist, where a wide sash cinches everything in and highlights the elegant line of her figure all the way to the floor. Her ponytail has been done up properly tonight, swept and pinned, a small gold crown clip holding it together. A single strand of dark hair has escaped near her temple, and as she steps shyly into the room, she lifts a hand to brush it back behind her ear.
She glances at me, eyes lifted just slightly through her lashes, and I immediately feel something in my chest thump, like a knock on a door I didn't realize was there.
I… blink.
My mind, which has been running smoothly all day briefly, and completely, derails.
'…Huh?' I can't quite move my gaze, and the room seems to narrow. The chorus of post-dress-up chatter dampens into the background, and I'm suddenly very aware of the sound of my own breathing.
She's looking at me, tentatively and slightly nervous, waiting.
My throat is dry. That's new too.
'…What is happening?'
It takes me a second longer than it should to remember that other people in this room can see me, and time doesn't suddenly pause just because I felt like it had. Several of them are currently watching me have whatever-this-is in real time.
"Whoa…" Someone whispers, in the slightly stunned tone of a person witnessing a rare animal in the wild. "Has anyone ever seen Kata look like that?"
"He looks stunned." Another whisper.
That snaps me back to reality, and I exhale and pretend to clear my throat as I school my expression, trying to look normal again.
"How… do I look?" Momo asks, her own voice softer than usual. A faint blush is rising up her neck as she hears the whispers too.
"You look good." I say. But the words don't quite portray what I mean. "You look really beautiful, Momo."
I don't quite recognize my own voice when I say it. It's a touch quieter than I intended, and Momo's blush deepens immediately. But the smile that follows is bright enough that it more than makes up for it, and somehow she manages to glow, appearing even more stunning.
"…You look very handsome too, Kata." She says softly. "I hope I'll get to see you in a suit more often."
I open my mouth… but nothing comes out.
For the first time in a long while, I find myself genuinely lost for words. I just look at her, and she looks back.
The silence that stretches between us is awkward, sure… but it's not uncomfortable.
Click.
I do not need to look to know what that sound is. Slowly, I turn my head.
Himiko has her phone held up. The screen is angled away from me, but her grin tells the full story.
"Don't worry, guys." She announces in a sing-song tone, eyes shining with unfiltered glee. "I got a picture."
"WHAT—" The girls erupt.
"Show me, show me—"
"Wait, the angle—"
"Send it."
"Oh, that's framed beautifully—"
I briefly consider using my quirk to erase the image directly from her phone's storage… and I almost do…
'Whatever…' I sigh internally. 'I'll just be more careful next time.'
I glance back at Momo. She doesn't even look at the swarm of girls, her eyes remaining locked on me… and weirdly enough, I feel slightly shy being looked at by her.
She smiles, and it must be infectious since I smile too. I find I can't quite manage to look away, when…
"Kata!" A small voice from somewhere around Momo's hip pipes up.
Eri peeks out at me from behind Momo, a huge smile on her face, entirely oblivious to whatever has just happened in the room above her head.
I blink.
'…I didn't notice her.' I realise with a small, genuine jolt. 'Did Momo scramble me that badly?'
The answer, apparently, is yes. I file that away as deeply concerning and resolve to get to the bottom of it later.
For now, though, the startled feeling melts the instant Eri steps fully out from behind Momo, presenting her outfit with the shy pride of someone who has been waiting very patiently for this moment.
"Look at me!" She says, giving a small, careful twirl, arms held out for balance.
She's wearing a darling red dress, a sleeveless bodice with delicate lace along the neckline, cinched at the waist with a big satin bow sitting front and center. The skirt billows out in soft, full layers, trimmed with lace at the hem and embroidered with pale patterns that climb up from the bottom. A matching red headband holds back her long silver-white hair, leaving a careful gap for her horn, and a dainty lace choker circles her throat, finished with a tiny gold heart-shaped locket resting against her collar.
She is, without exaggeration, the single most adorable thing on this island, and possibly, the planet.
My reaction is instant. I cross the room, crouch down to her level, and look her over with a huge smile.
"You look adorable, Eri." I say, with complete honesty.
She beams, practically vibrating with delight. Then, drawing herself up with great importance, she returns the favor.
"You look very handsome too, Kata." She says, with a small approving nod, almost like a proud older sister, which is quite humorous, and I laugh.
"Thank you, Eri." I reach out and gently pat the top of her head, careful not to mess up her hair. "Did Momo teach you to say that?"
"Mhm." She nods, utterly unashamed. "She said it's polite to compliment people back."
"Of course. She's right." I glance up.
Momo is watching the two of us with a soft, unguarded expression. When she catches me looking, she doesn't look away. She just continues to smile, and the flutter in my chest, which had settled to something almost manageable, threatens to go wild all over again.
'This… is going to be a long evening.' I think helplessly. Despite that, I find myself looking forward to it.
***********
A/N: Hello Everyone! How are you all? If you've enjoyed the chapter and book thus far, please consider leaving me some comments, reviews, or power stones. It really helps the book out.
Welp, I'm going straight to bed after this, but how was the chapter? I mentioned getting inspired, and that was the entire Momo segment. The feels hit me as I was writing it, and it kinda just flowed. I think it be logical, albeit, maybe a bit sudden for Kata.
Let's call it them finally making progress, and Kata realising his feelings, and that'd spread. One thing I was never really happy with, but couldn't figure out how to do without forcing plot (I like to be authentic and realistic to character development and all that), was moving Kata's mentality from "They have feelings for me me, and I like them, so I guess I'll go along with it" to "we have feelings for each other", and seem genuine. So, it's a pleasant surprise to me too!
One part my proof reading didn't like, and I also worried about was his reaction to Uraraka😅. Ngl, I personally wasn't a fan of her dress, but maybe that's just me. Maybe my personal feelings bled through, but canonically, Kata's quite indifferent, and he knew Uraraka was showing him her outfit not because she wanted to, but he just happened to be there, and was looking for a male outlook on it. Pretty much was only supposed to react to the love interests, but it'd basically be saying her outfit is bad if he was just like, okay?
Anyway, I got quite a few pictures, so hopefully you enjoy them. Should I add pictures (I think it helps visualise. It's what I'd like if I was reading), or Nah? Not necessary👀
Assuming Kata looks like Gojo (yes, bite me. It's the best reference I've got😭), that's his suit. (I'll be putting all the images on discord as well for simplicity, but they're available on the Patreon chapters too for free).
You can also read 10 chapters ahead and support me at [email protected]/AMV_WEAKLY
But anyway, that's all from me. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter, and have a wonderful rest of your day/night 😁